Mini Skillet Lava Cakes for 2

The cutest little mini molten lava cakes for your next date night! Cakey on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. Top these molten lava cakes for two with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream!

This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are mine.

So you know after dinner, when you want something sweet? Or late at night…or during that mid-afternoon lull…what do you crave? Etienne and I like to ask each other the question “if you could have anything in the world right now, what would it be”? (We also play the game, “if you could BE anywhere in the world right now, where would you be…but that’s another story for another time).

I digress. Anyway, I’d say 6 out of 10 times, our answer to the what would you eat question is usually “molten lava cakes”. We LOVE mini molten lava cakes. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to share one on the blog! I guess because there’s SO many different variations on the internet, it just doesn’t seem like a very novel recipe to post. The fact of the matter is, however, molten lava cakes are way, way up there in terms of my favorite desserts, so I’ve just got to share my own version! And just in time for Valentine’s Day ♥

Can you make this mini molten lava cake recipe sugar-free?

Yes! Would you be shocked if I told you these particular lava cakes in the pictures you see are 100% keto-friendly!? I’ve included recipe instructions for both regular non-diet lava cakes as well as these keto ones. They look identical, and taste pretty identical too. Etienne says he gets a weird after-taste when he eats desserts made with sweeteners, but I can’t say it bothers me a whole lot. I like to use the Swerve brand of powdered sugar. Either way you make them, these lava cakes are GREAT!

Do you have to use a mini skillet for this recipe?

Traditionally, mini molten lava cakes are baked in a small ramekin. We like to make this dessert in these little 5″ skillets that I picked up a couple of years ago (how cute are they!?!) but you can also make these in ramekins. If you bake them in ramekins, you can tip them out onto a plate once they’re baked for a prettier presentation. The bake time will change a little, so I’ve also included notes on that below! We eat ours right out of the little skillets!

How long does it take to make mini molten lava cakes?

I should have also mentioned how quickly these little guys come together. You can throw them together in under 10 minutes, and the bake time is even less than that! Almost too easy…if you know what I mean!

So, if you like rich, chocolatey, warm cake with an ooey-gooey center baked in an individual little dish, I think you’ll like these cakes. They’re basically like a mini skillet brownie!

Mini Skillet Lava Cakes for 2

Description

The cutest little mini molten lava cakes for your next date night! Cakey on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. Top these molten lava cakes for two with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream!

Scale

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter, chopped into 1” pieces

3 oz dark chocolate, chopped*

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature

3 tbsp powdered sugar*

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp flour*

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F and thoroughly grease and flour two small cast iron skillets, or ramekins*

In a medium-sized microwaveable bowl, combine the butter and chopped chocolate. Heat in 30 second intervals on high, stirring in between each interval until completely smooth.

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla until the eggs are frothy and lighter in color, 1-2 minutes. Add half of the butter/chocolate mixture to the bowl, whisking to combine. Add in the flour, combine, and add the rest of the chocolate. Stir just until the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the two skillets. I like to use my kitchen scale for this! Bake the skillets for 5-7 minutes*, or until the top is JUST barely set and the edges have browned up. Do not overcook them! Remove from the oven and serve immediately, topping with ice cream, coconut cream or whipped cream!

The recipe easily double if you’re serving for 4. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge!

Notes

I like to use 72% dark chocolate. If you’re making a keto version, use sugar-free dark chocolate or at least 85%. Be sure to use good quality chocolate!

For the keto version, sub the powdered sugar for something like Swerve powdered sugar, or an alternative sweetener.

Use almond flour for keto-friendly.

The skillets I use are 5″ in size. A smaller skillet will increase the bake time by a couple of minutes, and vice versa. Keep an eye on your cakes!

Katherine – I agree with you and Etienne – chocolate lava cake is something I could eat day after day after day and never ever tire of it. Because, what else is there that is better? I can’t answer that. These are adorable and look so easy! Thanks for the recipe, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Love any dessert in a skillet and I especially love that they are chocolate!! Nice touch with the pretty fresh berries on top too. I don’t know much about keto, but I do know that I’m a fan of dessert, lol. Pinning these beauties and trying soon 🙂

All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish a recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to my page for the recipe.

This site contains affiliate links, which may earn me a small commission if you click through. There is no extra cost to you!